Dry-pipe sprinkler system



Aug. 17,1926. 1,596,280

A J. LOEPSINGER DRY PIPE SPRINKLER SYSTEM Filed June 22. 1923 INVENTOR azaa'azzw m w W, r1( W ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J'. LOEPSINGER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

DRY PIPE SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

, Application filed June. 22, 1923. Serial No. 647,174.

This invention relates to dry pipe systems for plural liquids such as may be used Y in automatic sprinkler fire extinguishing apparatus, discharging liquids operating by chemical reaction. Such systems employ two liquids, one of which is ordinarily an acid and the other an alkali, which react together immediately on mixing. For this reason and because the acid is corrosive it is especially desirable to employ the dry pipe principle, in which the pipes remain normally filled with air until a sprinkler opens from the heat of a fire, whereupon the reduction of air pressure automatically trips a valve for each liquid, to admit. it.to its system of piping leading to the sprinklers. In such cases it is highly desirable that both liquids, travelling through their respective systems, should arrive at the open head at the same instant, as the required ell'ect is produced only by mixing, and as either alone may be seriously damaging to goods on which it may fall. It has, however, heretofore been found practically impossible to build two systems thus in parallel so that the valves will operate simultaneously. The present invention has for its object to provide means for the simultaneous operation of the separate valves controlling the liquids of such a system. 7

I This object is accomplished by providing an operativelconnection between the two such that either may trip the other, or, more strictly, such that the tripping of either occasions the simultaneous tripping of the other. This is attained by providing a physical connection between operating parts of the two valves. The invention is here illustrated asit may be applied to a wellknown type of dry pipe valve in which the liquid retaining clapper is held seated against the hydrostatic pressure of liquid by a system of linkage which is balanced in.

unstable equilibrium so that it yields upon slight dislodgement, and there is a weight,

held suspended by air pressure in the distribution system, ready when released by fall of the air pressure to descend and knock the linkage system out. of its said equilibrium, thus allowing the hydrostatic pressure to open'the valve. member which is exposed to the air pressure in the distribution system is so designed,

with relation to the constant force'applied to it by the weight, that the two are bal- The area of the'yielding anced when the air pressure has fallen, as it does upon the opening of a sprinkler anywhere in the system, to a certain predetermined value, which may, for example, be one-sixth of the normal hydrostatic pressure of liquid. WVith further falling the air pressure becomes too weak to hold the weight-which thereupon descends, allowing the liquid valve to open. Where two such valves are'side by side, each opening into its own distribution-system, the fall of air may be a little slower, in one system'than in the other, or there may be slightly more "tripped. Specifically, the connection herein illustrated is made by replacing the separate weight supportingv levers of both systems of linkage bya common lever having arms adaptedto function as the single levers replaced.

In the formv illustrated this end is attained by arranging the two valves in physical proximity side by side so i that like members of their systems of linkage move parallel with each other. The single weight supporting lever is suspended on both systems, and carries a weight sufficiently large to overcome the air pressure normally exerted on either air clapper alone, but small enough to be supported by the combined force of normal air pressure on It follows that when the air support both. of one system becomes sufiiciently weak, even though the air support of the other system has not quite reached the necessary weakness, the combined loss in both systems will enable the weight to overcome the remaining pressure whereupon the tripping of both valves will occur simultaneously.

It will be understood that mechanical connections may be made in other respects between the parts which move when the tripping occurs, with similar results and within the scope of the invention. It will moreover, be understood that connections may be made in other than mechanical respects between the two dry pipe and distribution systems which are desired to act as a single system, in order to produce simultaneousness of tripping as, for example, flu-id connections between the air systems of a mechanical valve or of a differential valve, or between the intermediate chambers of either kind of valve. The generic invention, and the other species thereof thus mentioned are set forth and claimed in three other applications for Patent Serial Nos. 641,172; 645,17 and 647,175, filed coincidentally herewith. It is intended that the present patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patent-able novelty exist in the general idea of a mechanical connection between parts of the tripping mechanism and especially in the specific applications thereof herein disclosed.

Tn the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, illustrating the application of the invention to the pipes and dry pipe valves of a sprinkler system; and

Figure 2 is a similar elevation, looking from the rightv in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the figures show the beginning of two liquid distribution systems, 18, 23, arranged in parallelism, such as may be used, the one for carrying an acid .and the other for carrying an alkali liquid to sprinklers where the alkali and the acid are jetted together or otherwise mixed so as to produce a fire extinguishing liquid, gas or foam formation in the manner well known. The dry pipe valves 1st and 24: illustrated are also of a type which are well known and therefore do not need to be described in detail.

In each case the liquid-retaining zclapper 24: is held closed by a system of linkage including a toggle held by a plunger 50 extending through an opening 48 in. the wall of the intermediate chamber l9 into engagement with a lever 51, pivoted on the fixed frame of the valve. This lever is retained in plunger holding position by a strut 53' pivotally mounted on a lever whose arms 61 andfiz? are arranged to withdraw the plungers of both valves simultaneously when the lever 60 is permitted to swing under the.

influence of its weight The weight carrying lever 60 when set to be tripped, is at 6% and 66 hooked on the power ends of trip levers ll, whose work ends tend to open the air clapper valves 46 with which they are individually associated and which are normally held to their seats by the air pressure in the systems. l hen the systems are full of air at the normally maintained pressure, the air clappers will remain closed, for the weight 63 is not large enough to overcome the combined normal pressures on the two air clappers; but whenever the air pressure in either or both systems falls to a predetermined amount, as after the opening of a sprinkler, so that the combined moment exerted by the two air clappers on the work ends of the trip levers 44 is less than the moment exerted on these levers by the weight 60, the air clappers will be lifted. The incidental tipping of the trip levers 44L lets the hooks slip from them and allows the The two connected .dr v)ipe valves are shown arranged with their weighted levers 60 in a common chamber 47, which intervenes 5 between intermediate chambers 49 of the valves and connects them through openings 48 in which the toggle plungers 5O operate. Theprovision of the common chamber ens ables the pressure in the intermediatechambers of the valves to be equalized. hen the linkage is set to holdhthe liquid clappers closed, the openings 48 in the valve casings proper through which the toggle plungers 50 project from chambers 49 into 47 are large enough to allow iree passage of fluid, and the contents are kept at atmospheric pressure by the usual ball drip valve (not shown) which closes when a rush of fluid through it begins. The chamber thus affords fluid connection such that if either liquid valve were tripped enough to leak, and the other still held, the inflow of liquid would quickly fillthe chamber and apply high pressure to the under side of the hesitating air valve l6,thus insuring its immediate opening and the simultaneous full release of both liquid valves 2%.

It is desirable for the perfect simultaneousness of action that there be a communieating passage as indicated at .32, between "the risers 13 and 23, or elsewhere between the air portion of the two systems, so as to provide equality of air pressure on the air, clappers d6 of the two dry .pipe valves. Upon the opening of the dry pipe valves and the rush of liquid through the risers 13 and 23 a small quantity of liquid from each flows into the connection 32. The gas formed at the place of meeting prevents further mingling of the liquids there; and the maintainance of this gas separation may lill) celerator 34 whose entrance pipe 35 is shown connected through branches 35"with each branch 39 of pipe 39 at a point between an air clapper chamber and a restriction 39 in the branch. These restrictions are openings large enough totransmit a characteristic drop in pressure in the distribution systems 12, 23,

through 39, 39, 35', and 35 to the accelerator to cause actuation of the latter, when a the intermediate chambers 49, from which,

by way of the common chamber 47 and passages 48 by the plungers 50, the fluid quickly reaches, and balances, the pressure on the air clappers 46 so that the weights can fall. However a mere falling of the pressure above the air clappers is sufficient, whether the contents pass into the intermediate chamber as shown or into atmosphere. Upon the tripping of the Weighted levers each passage around the plunger 50 is closed, for each plunger in moving draws with it a plug collar 50 which seals the openings 48 in the wall of its chamber 49 and thereby prevents leakage of either liquid into the connecting chamber and into contact with the other liquid.

I claim as my invention 1. In a dry pipe'system for plural liquids, having a separate distributing system and dry pipe valve for each liquid, the combination of two control systems of linkage, one for each valve, which have one of their .controlling elements in common; the whole comprising means operative through the common element, upon reduction of pressure in either distributing system, to trip said linkage whereby both valves are opened at the same time.

2. In a dry pipe system for plural liquids having a separate distributing system and dry pipe valve for each liquid, the combina tion of two colored systems of linkage, one for each valve, which have in common a weighted lever adapted to maintain both valves closed while suspended and adapted to permit both valves to open simultaneously upon being tripped, and means operative upon reduction of pressure in either distrib- V uting system to trip said lever.

3. In a dry pipe system for plural liquids having a separate dry pipe valve for each. liquid, the combination of two control systems or" linkage, one for each valve, which have one of their controlling elements in common; said common element being opposed to the combined pressures of the distributing systems of the two liquids, and arranged to trip upon reduction 0i said combined pressure to a predetermined point,

whereby both valves are opened simultaneously; I

4. In a dry pipe system for plural liquids having a separate dry pipe valve for each liquid, the combinationof two control systerns of linkage, one for each valve, which are separate except that they have in common asingle weighted lever arranged to oppose the combined pressures of the distributing .s s'temsof thetwo liquids, and to trip upon reduction of said combined pressure to a predetermined point, whereby both valves are opened simultaneously.

In a dry pipe system for pluralliquids,

having "for each liquid a separate distributing system and dry pipe valve with auxili- ,ary clapper seated by system air pressure, the combination of two control systems, one for each valve; having in common a control element whichwhen set is restrained by the total of air pressure on the two said clappers; there being tree liquid connection between, the under sides of said clappers. whereby the fluid pressure thereon tending to open the valves is uniform.

6. In a dry pipe system for plural liquids. having tor each liquid a separate distributing system and dry pipe valve. with auxiliary clapper seated by system air pressure, the combination of two control systems, one -for each valve, having in common a control element which when set is restrained by the total of air pressure on the two said clappers; there being free fluid connection be tween the said 'air pressure sides of said clappers.

7 In a dry pipe system for plural liquids having a separate distributing system and dry pipe valve for each liquid the'combination, with the auxiliary clapper for each distributing system adapted to be seated by system air pressure, and a weighted lever common to the two control systems arranged to oppose the combined pressures on said clappers, and to let both valves open upon the overcoming thereof. of means providing free fluid connection between the under sides of said clappers, and means providing free fluid connection between the upper sides of said clapper, whereby the fluid pressures acting on said clappers are uniform on both said clap'pers.

8. A; dry pipe system for plural liquids. having'a separate distributing system and dry pipe valve io'r each liquid, in which the control system of the two dry pipe valves have in common an accelerator on the air pressure side connected to one of said distributing systems for its own actuation and arranged to relieve the pressure on both air clappers simultaneously and equally; and a weighted lever on the intermediate chamber side, adapted to oppose the combined pressures on said clappers so that u on fall of said combined pressures to a pre etermined degree said lever will trip and cause simultaneous openin of both dry pipe valves.

9. In a dry pipe system for plural liquids, having a separate distributing system and dry pipe valve for each liquid, the combination or two control systems of linkage, one for each valve, which have in common a weighted lever adapted to be held suspended by the air pressures in the two distribution systems, and to overcome the air pressure of a single distribution system, so that upon fall of the air pressure in either system to a predetermined. degree, said lever Will trip and cause simultaneous opening of both dry pipe valves.

day of May,

10. In a dry pipe system for plural liquids, having a separate distributing system and dry pipe valve for each liqu ic l,'the combi ation'ot two control systems of linkage. one for each valve, arranged side by side and operating in like directions of rotation about axes which are parallel, and being interconnected; the whole comprising means operative, upon reduction of pressure in either distributing system, to trip said linkage whereby both valves are opened at the same time.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 18th 1923. ALBERT J. LOEPSING-ER.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 1,596,280, granted August 17, 1926, upon the application of Albert J. Loepsinger, of Providence, Rhode Island, for an improvement in Dry-Pipe Sprinkler Systems, were erroneously issued to the inventor, said Loepsinger, Whereas said Letters Patent should have been issued to General- Fire Extinguisher Company, of Providence, R. L, a Corporation of Delaware, said corporation being assignee, by mesne assignments, of the entire interest in said invention, as shown by the records of assignments in this ofiice; and

that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice. Signed and sealed this 9th day otNovember, A. D, 1926.

[SEAL] WM. A. KINNAN,

Acting Commissioner of Patents, 

